Tripiṭaka 19. Āsīvisavagga
19. The Simile of the Vipers
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Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī on the bank of the Ganges river.
Addasā kho bhagavā mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānaṁ.
Seeing a large tree trunk being carried along by the current,
“passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ gaṅgāya nadiyā sotena vuyhamānan”ti?
“Mendicants, do you see that large tree trunk being carried along by the current of the Ganges river?”
“Sace so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchati, na majjhe saṁsīdissati, na thale ussīdissati, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissati;
“Mendicants, assume that that tree trunk doesn’t drift towards the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And assume that it doesn’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and that it doesn’t rot away.
evañhi so, bhikkhave, dārukkhandho samuddaninno bhavissati samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro.
In that case, that tree trunk will slant, slope, and incline towards the ocean.
Samuddaninno, bhikkhave, gaṅgāya nadiyā soto samuddapoṇo samuddapabbhāro.
Because the current of the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines towards the ocean.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, sace tumhepi na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchatha;
In the same way, assume that you don’t drift towards the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And assume that you don’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and that you don’t rot away.
na majjhe saṁsīdissatha, na thale ussīdissatha, na manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūtī bhavissatha;
evaṁ tumhe, bhikkhave, nibbānaninnā bhavissatha nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā.
In that case, you will slant, slope, and incline towards extinguishment.
Nibbānaninnā, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi nibbānapoṇā nibbānapabbhārā”ti.
Because right view slants, slopes, and inclines towards extinguishment.”
Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, one of the mendicants asked the Buddha:
“kiṁ nu kho, bhante, orimaṁ tīraṁ, kiṁ pārimaṁ tīraṁ, ko majjhe saṁsādo, ko thale ussādo, ko manussaggāho, ko amanussaggāho, ko āvaṭṭaggāho, ko antopūtibhāvo”ti?
“But sir, what’s the near shore and what’s the far shore? What’s sinking in the middle? What’s getting stranded on high ground? What’s getting taken by humans or non-humans? What’s getting caught up in a whirlpool? And what’s rotting away?”
“‘Orimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
“‘The near shore’, mendicant, is a term for the six interior sense fields.
‘Pārimaṁ tīran’ti kho, bhikkhu, channetaṁ bāhirānaṁ āyatanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘The far shore’ is a term for the six exterior sense fields.
‘Majjhe saṁsādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Sinking in the middle’ is a term for greed and relishing.
‘Thale ussādo’ti kho, bhikkhu, asmimānassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Stranded on high ground’ is a term for the conceit ‘I am’.
Idha, bhikkhu, gihīhi saṁsaṭṭho viharati, sahanandī sahasokī, sukhitesu sukhito, dukkhitesu dukkhito, uppannesu kiccakaraṇīyesu attanā tesu yogaṁ āpajjati.
It’s when someone mixes closely with laypeople, sharing their joys and sorrows—happy when they’re happy and sad when they’re sad—and getting themselves involved in their business.
Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti.
It’s when someone leads the spiritual life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’
‘Āvaṭṭaggāho’ti kho, bhikkhu, pañcannetaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Caught up in a whirlpool’ is a term for the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asucisaṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto.
It’s when some person is unethical, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner—though claiming to be one—rotten inside, festering, and depraved.
Tena kho pana samayena nando gopālako bhagavato avidūre ṭhito hoti.
Now at that time Nanda the cowherd was sitting not far from the Buddha.
“ahaṁ kho, bhante, na orimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na pārimaṁ tīraṁ upagacchāmi, na majjhe saṁsīdissāmi, na thale ussīdissāmi, na maṁ manussaggāho gahessati, na amanussaggāho gahessati, na āvaṭṭaggāho gahessati, na antopūti bhavissāmi.
“I won’t drift towards the near shore or the far shore, or sink in the middle, or get stranded on high ground. And I won’t get taken by humans or non-humans or caught up in a whirlpool, and I won’t rot away.
Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.
Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”
“Tena hi tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātehī”ti.
“Well then, Nanda, return the cows to their owners.”
“Gamissanti, bhante, gāvo vacchagiddhiniyo”ti.
“Sir, the cows will go back by themselves, since they love their calves.”
“Niyyāteheva tvaṁ, nanda, sāmikānaṁ gāvo”ti.
“Still, Nanda, you should return them to their owners.”
Atha kho nando gopālako sāmikānaṁ gāvo niyyātetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Nanda, after returning the cows to their owners, went up to the Buddha and said to him,
Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.
May I receive the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence?”
Alattha kho nando gopālako bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.
And the cowherd Nanda received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence.
Catutthaṁ.